I’ve stated previously on this blog that Australian Church Women (ACW) began on 11 February 1965 after functioning as an Interim Committee for two years. So, what did the newly formed National Committee and other participants do at their first meeting?
Looking back at their agenda in the working documents for this meeting, it was quite an intense programme over their 1½ days stay at Deaconess House in Sydney. There were several issues to be finalised to set the new National Committee off on a firm footing, particularly the constitution and proposed ACW programme.
The items they studied and discussed were:
Review of the Interim Committee's work
State and Territory reports
Other reports
Australian Church Women Constitution
Producing study material
Proposed programme of ACW
Projects: Fellowship of the Least Coin and Winifred Kiek Scholarship
Survey on the Service and Status of Women in the Churches
Committee on the Co-operation of Men and Women in the Church, Family and Society
Appointments and elections
Recommendations to the Annual Meeting of the Australian Council of Churches (ACC), which followed the ACW meeting
And worship, prayer, Bible study and devotions.
Here is a list of the participants of that first National Committee meeting:
STATE REPRESENTATIVES:
New South Wales
Mrs. H. J. Lilley, Methodist
Colonel H. Cross, The Salvation Army
Queensland
Mrs. A.G. Ashton, Congregationalist
Victoria
Mrs. H. Stephens, Church of EngIand
Mrs. T.G.S. Grieve, Baptist
South Australia
Mrs. E.A. Pitman, Methodist
Mrs. H. Wells, Congregationalist
Western Australia
Mrs. N. Wilkinson, Society of Friends
Mrs. L. Staton, Presbyterian
Tasmania
Mrs. C.A. Wood, Presbyterian
A.C.T.
Mrs. E. Ogston, Church of England
Mrs. C. Stirling, Churches of Christ
DENOMINATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES:
Mrs. C.F. Gribble, Methodist
Mrs. J.F. Dey, Congregationalist
Mrs. Colonel H.W. Saunders, The Salvation Amy
Mrs. A. Dougan, Presbyterian
Head Deaconess M. Andrews, Church of England
Mrs. D. Strack, Churches of Christ
Mrs. Doratis, Greek Orthodox
Mrs. A. Mageros, Greek Orthodox
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS:
Mrs. T.C. Rentoul, Y.W.C.A.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM:
ACC Committee on the Co-operation of Men and Women in Church, Family and Society –
Mrs. T.H. Coates, Methodist
Mrs. J.D. McCaughey, Presbyterian
A.C.C. Executive Committee:
Mr. V.K. Brown, Church of England
Mrs. D.J.A. Verco, Churches of Christ
Mrs. M.G. Wyllie, Methodist
Interim Committee
Mrs. S.M. ßarrett, Methodist
A.C.C. Staff – consultants
Rev. H.L. Perkins
Rev. J.R. Neal
Miss T.J. Skiller
Sadly, the ACW National Archives do not contain any photos from this first National Committee meeting. Does anyone know of any photos from that first meeting? Perhaps one might be lurking in a State Unit Archive, or a family photo album, or church records. Please put on your deer stalker caps and release the bloodhounds. You might even discover other ACW treasures in the hunt; wouldn't that be wonderful.
Please email me if you have any success in tracking down memorabilia from the early ACW conferences donna.bryan@salvationarmy.org.au
